Knitting machine



Jan. 19, 1937. H. s. HoRRocv'zKs 2,068,179

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1932 @www Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Application August 25, 1932, Serial No. 630,461

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a knitting machine of the type in which needles are selectively elevated while other needles remain at a lower level. For example, certain needles may remain at the tuck level while other needles are elevated to knitting level but I do not limit myself to such a function as the needles may be split for various other purposes. l

In combination with such means there is provided nullifying means whereby all the needles may be raised to the high position. Needles of special form are also provided for' cooperating with said nullifying means. It is an object oi the invention to provide a special form of needle and needle cylinder for coaction with special nullifying means, whereby the needles are sim` plied and the need for special butts on the needles is done away with, while the needles are of such form that they will not tip or tilt in the needle slots but will move up and down in proper manner in said slots.

Referring to the drawing, which isl made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. lis an elevation of needle actuating means, illustrating the various positions assumed by the needles,

Fig. 2, a vertical section, and

Fig. 3, a side elevation of a needle.

In the drawing, reference characters I0, I I and I2 indicate stitch cams at each of a series of feeds and thecoacting needle elevating cams are indicated at I3, I4, and I5. Design wheels I6 and Il are shown at two of the feeds, it being understood that other means for splitting or separating the needles may be used, whereby the needles I8 may be selectively elevated in any desired sequence.

Nullifying cams I9 and 20 are shown as being formed at the inner ends of tuck bars such as illustratedat 2l, the tuck bars being pivoted as at 22 so that the nuillifying cams may move from the full-line position in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position, the rst position being an active position whereas the other is an idle position. These nullifying cams extend through openings in the needle elevating cams I4 and I5, the cam I9 in Fig. l being shown as at the idle position whereas the cam 2O is at the active position. Preferably each nullifying cam is mounted on a sectional unit 23 of the cam ring which unit also carries a stitch cam, and the design wheel, the elevating cams I3, i4, I5 being on the gear ring but not on the removable sections. It will be noted that the design wheel is positioned (Cl. (i6-50) immediately above the nulliiying cam in such manner that the axis oi rotation of the design wheel stands directly over the nullifying cam. In this way it is possible to increase the number of feeds in a machine over such arrangements as previously used to the extent that there may be 32 feeds on a 24 in. machine whereas previously it was not possible to use more than I8 feeds.

The needle cylinder 24 is essentially of conventional character with the usual slots for the needles I8 but the outside diameter of the needle cylinder is reduced at the lower end, forming a step portion or annular recess into which the nullifying cams extend. The needles I8 are provided at their lower ends with solid shanks 26 preferably of such width that they ll the needle slots, or approximately so, where the needle cylinder is of the full diameter, and the lower ends of the Shanks extend beyond the needle slots at the step portion where the diameter of the cylinder is reduced whereby the nullifying cams may engage the feet of the needles for elevating them, the needles being provided at their footiends with flat transverse faces 21 for engagement by the nullifying cams. It will be understood that needles of the conventional type are too narrow at their foot ends for a good end contact with nullifying cams for the purposes in question.

In the operation of my device the needles may be taken as passing from left to right in Fig. 1, it being immaterial whethier the needle bed moves past the cams or vice versa, and the needles are elevated by such a cam as shown at I4 to a level which may be a tuck level, after which they pass along the top of the cam. The needles whose butts register with peripheral notches in design wheel will not be elevated whereas the other needles will be engaged and lifted by the design wheel to a level which may be the knitting level. Thereafter the butts of the elevated needles engage the stitch cam II and are drawn down to knit while the needles at the tuck level will also be depressed but without having cleared their latches so that they may form tuck stitches at another feed where the latches are cleared. If it is desired to make plain fabric instead of tuck fabric the nullifying cam is elevated to the position at 20 in Fig. 1, thus causing the needles not lifted by the design wheel to maintain their position in the needle wave and take the yarn at the knitting level in the same manner as the other needles.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art 10 Letters Patent is:

In a knitting machine, a slotted needle cylinder, needles in the slots of said cylinder, said needles having butts, a set of needle cams including a stitch cam, a cam for elevating the needles, a design Wheel approximately parallel to the needle raising edge of said needle elevating cam for selectively elevating needles by engagement Wiith said butts, a nullifying cam movable up and down directly below Said Wheel, the Shanks of the needles being solid from the bottom end nearly to said butts and being enlarged so as substantially to ll the needle slots and thus to provide a Wide flat bottom face on a needle for engagement by said nullifying cam, and the Walls of the needle slots being radially reduced in the zone of operation of said nullif fying cam.

HARRY S. HORROCKS. 

